Advocacy

TESTIMONIALS

Jonathan Pier Durante

In 2010, I transitioned from the San Fernando Valley to Beverly Hills in an entirely client-facing industry. The Chamber of Commerce was an invaluable tool in getting my new network established in an opportunity-rich, affluent community. My Book of Business has grown millions of dollars due to connections made via Chamber events. More importantly, the opening of our branch was expedited thanks to the Chamber’s ongoing partnership with the City and its regular advocacy of its members. The Chamber has helped make my business a known quantity in Beverly Hills; I couldn’t have done it without them.

Legislative Policies

The Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce is one of the leading business organizations in Los Angeles County and is the premiere organization representing the Beverly Hills business community.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

As the premier business organization in the Beverly Hills community, it is the Chamber’s role to create and develop policies that will guide effective pro-business legislative and local policy representation for our membership. Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee will utilize the following principles to develop policy recommendations to the Board of Directors and to articulate positions on behalf of Chamber membership when meeting with elected officials:

Stimulate economic development by prioritizing business retention and growth in the region

Acknowledge Beverly Hills’ interdependence in the global economy and the importance of addressing state and national economic policies and issues impacting the Beverly Hills business community

Seek accountability in all forms of government operations, and where applicable, periodic measurement of programs

Ensure all government agencies maintain policies that promote an efficient and equitable market economy. Government programs and regulations should be developed to correct market inefficiencies and not to further complicate existing market inadequacies.

Support an educational system that prepares students to meet market demands

Promote quality of life that ensures the Beverly Hills community will remain an attractive place to live, work, and do business

Encourage cooperation among government agencies and reduce the proliferation of additional regulatory agencies

View the private sector as a partner in serving the needs of the public

Ensure regulations on business are kept to a minimum and support policies that do not put area businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Support tax policies that ensure regional competitiveness for all industries.

Promote infrastructure necessary to support commerce and business growth such as sound regionally based transportation policies.

POLICY STATEMENTS

Economic Development

Beverly Hills Chamber’s policies highlight the importance of a strong economy for Beverly Hills. The Chamber will promote all public policy that encourages economic development through tax based incentives, minimized regulatory burdens, and increased financing at all levels of government. The Chamber supports all of the following initiatives:

Expand international trade in the region

Encourage increased air traffic capacity for all regionally based airports in order to ease travel routes for the Beverly Hills visitor

Promote Beverly Hills as a “clean and safe” place to visit and do business

Promote “quality of life” issues to ensure that Beverly Hills remains a place where people want to visit, work, shop, dine, live and raise their families

Tourism

The Chamber is strongly committed to promote Beverly Hills as the premier local, national, and international tourist destination as well as encourage policies that provide investment in the growth of tourism.

Public Safety

The Chamber knows that a safe and inviting atmosphere for business, its employees, clients, customers, and families is imperative to promoting and enhancing economic development in Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills has world-class fire and police departments, with top national rankings and response times. Businesses benefit from quality public safety, and the City’s public safety departments benefit from the strong local economy that contributes over 75% to the City’s general fund.

Education

Beverly Hills Chamber recognizes the importance of our educational system and supports innovative efforts to better our educational system, both public and private. The Chamber specifically supports the following:

Public education decision-making authority at the local level; and

The support of parental involvement in education, believing that parents need to work with and support the professional educators to ensure an outstanding school system and high academic achievement.

Transportation

Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce strongly believes that an effective and efficient transportation infrastructure is pivotal to the economic success of the Beverly Hills community and the Los Angeles region.

Healthcare

Access to quality health care is essential for all Americans. It is critical that working men and women be provided access to basic health care through the business community. The Chamber supports any reforms that include flexibility and promote integrated delivery systems that control costs, increase efficiency and maintain quality such as those policies that emphasize prevention. Funding for health care should be equitably based and avoid an undue burden on business. Any system should incorporate viable processes that control costs and reduces administrative overhead to improve efficiency.

Business Regulation

The Chamber supports the reduction of unnecessary government regulations and limiting the creation of new regulations. The Chamber supports streamlining governmental regulatory policy by removing duplicate and overlapping regulations. When appropriate, the consolidation of regulatory administrative entities should be sought to achieve economies of scale or synergy. The Chamber supports “one-stop shopping,” where several permits or licenses are required. Beverly Hills Chamber believes that all government fees and costs should be thoroughly analyzed to determine their need and how they will be dedicated. Furthermore, their impact on commerce and placing regionally based businesses at a competitive disadvantage should be taken into account. The Chamber encourages government employees to respect the interest of the business community and when appropriate to exercise their duties in a timely or flexible manner to prevent undue economic hardship on entrepreneurs.

A legal system that is based on fairness and discourages frivolous lawsuits

The use of arbitration and mediation to settle disputes

The reform of our Federal and State product liability laws

A limit on punitive damages

Management and Labor

Equitably based standards for Management and Labor relations is imperative if California is to attain its full economic potential. Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce supports the following to maximize worker productivity and job creation:

The concept of “equal pay for equal work” with the decisions on the level of compensation left to the marketplace

Oppose increases in the California state minimum wage that exceed the federal level

Fair and honest wages for all employees

Taxation

Beverly Hills Chamber supports tax policies which are fair and equitable to all taxpayers. The Chamber believes that undue tax policies discourage investment and sends a negative signal to the business community and investors.

Entertainment

The Chamber recognizes the entertainment industry as a critical component to the economic well being of the Beverly Hills community and Los Angeles region. The Chamber strongly supports those policies that will make Beverly Hills and Southern California competitive places to conduct entertainment related business. Beverly Hills Chamber supports Intellectual Property Rights and Copyright infringement laws and regulations which will safeguard entertainment related product or services.

Hotel Industry

The Chamber recognizes the value and significance of hotels in Beverly Hills. Hotels are the largest contributors to the City coffers, which in turn maintains the quality of life Beverly Hills cherishes, e.g. superior school system, rapid police and fire response, etc.

Automotive Industry

Beverly Hills Chamber supports the importance of the auto industry. The local dealerships are an important asset to the community contributing a strong portion of the City’s total annual sales tax revenues (up to 20% in past years). The Chamber encourages the dealerships to continue servicing their vehicles in Beverly Hills to retain their customers.